Artifacts from Rome Subway Work

Construction of the subway in Rome has resulted in scores of treasures from ancient times. A plethora of ancient Roman objects featuring amphora, marble panels, coins and peach pits have been uncovered and are on display at the Metro C archaeological exhibit. Officials are already planning to have a permanent exhibit of the excavated articles at the San Giovanni metro station.

An archaeologist checks human bones at ancient Roman ruins of former barracks. 13 skeletons were found.

The barracks were for Roman Praetorian guards dating back to the period of Emperor Hadrian. The Praetorian Guard were elite military troops established by the 2nd century BC. They were household troops of Roman emperors and acted as bodyguards to generals. Notable finds included a three-pronged iron pitchfork, storage baskets, leather fragments possibly from a farmhand's glove or shoe, and traces carved into stone by a waterwheel's repeated turning. Peach pits, presumably from the farm's orchard, also were found. Peaches were still a novelty, first imported from the Middle East. Ancient Romans recycled. Amphorae, the jars they favored to transport and store food, were lined up with their ends cut open to double as water conduits. Other older signs of life were carriage ruts from as long ago as the 6th century B.C.